Azerbaijan's Aliyev Labels Armenia as 'Fascist' in Escalating Tensions

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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has escalated rhetoric against Armenia, calling its leadership a "source of threat" and labeling the state as "essentially fascist." These comments were made in a televised interview, suggesting that "fascism must be eradicated" either by Armenia's leadership or by Azerbaijan. This statement raises concerns about the potential for renewed conflict between the two nations, which have a long history of hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia, which lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan in September 2023, has seen the majority of its Armenian population flee to Armenian territory as a result of the conflict. Both countries are currently attempting to negotiate a peace treaty. However, Aliyev's recent comments have been met with a warning from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who accused Baku of seeking to justify further escalation in the region.

While both sides express a desire to finalize a treaty, significant tensions persist, including Armenia's rearming efforts and Azerbaijan's demands for constitutional changes in Armenia that would remove claims to Azerbaijani territory. Peace talks have been hindered by a lack of formal diplomatic ties and a heavily militarized border.

Despite the harsh language, Aliyev stated his desire to avoid further war, despite previous indications of Azerbaijan's territorial claims on parts of Armenia.

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